Skagit Valley Games

Yesterday I went to the Skagit Valley Highland Games.
This is a smaller venue than the Big Enumclaw one at the end of the month, but it's closer and a little more intimate.
I've been going there the last several years, but this is the first time I've been to the games since I've started lessons.
I've got to say, it was almost like going to the games for the first time.
I spent most of the morning wandering around the solo-piper competition, watching to see what the "pros" were doing.  I may have been the only spectator in that section who wasn't competing, or supporting someone who was competing.  In fact, I may have made some of the pipers nervous.  I definitely got the "who the hell is this guy" vibe from a couple of them.  No matter.  I watched some of the grade 2 and grade 1 performers (grade 1 is top level) as they performed hornpipes, jigs and pibrochs.
I actually found myself getting excited that, at least half the time, I could follow what they were doing with their fingers.  That's a far cry from being able to do it myself, but it was exciting for me nevertheless.

Later I watched as a few of the band competitions.  In that setting, it became easier to hear which bands were  truly in sync with each other.  All it takes is one or two pipers to come in a half beat late, or hold a flourish a hair too long to muddy the overall sound a bit.

I did run into Jeff Mudd, Ryan Gallagher and Karla Cockbain.  I also saw Scott our drum instructor.
We started talking about why you don't see Fire or Police pipe bands competing at these games.  Ryan said he asked Scott that very question and was told that, quite frankly, fire and pipe bands aren't good enough. The pipers competing here have been doing it since they were kids.  Firemen and Policemen just don't put in nearly as many hours practicing.

He may be right, but I think it's a goal to shoot for.  If we're going to all this trouble to make a pipe band, shouldn't we strive to be the best?

Ah well.  Easy enough for me to say, but Lord knows talk is cheap.

Oh, I did learn a valuable lesson.  If you leave your practice chanter in the car on a hot day, it will probably ruin the reed.  Found out the hard way on that one.  Fortunately I picked up a replacement reed before I left the games...

"That" song

Yesterday we started working on THE song.  You know which one.  The big one.  The raison d’être for most pipe bands.  The single most recognized song for bagpipes in the world.  I refer, of course, to Amazing Grace.

From a technical standpoint, it’s not really that difficult.  By that I mean there aren’t a lot of complicated flourishes or finger patterns. 

But the fact is, this is the one that has to be perfect.  Each and every time, it must be perfect.  Even more than the fingering, the timing must be impeccable.  All the pipers must be in sync.  For unlike most other songs played on the pipes, this one will invariably carry emotional significance. 

Granted, the average person who hears it won’t know if a grace note or a D-throw are a little off, but for a band it must have that crisp uniformity – that cleanliness of sound that comes from everyone being in exact time with each other.  That (in my opinion) is what helps give this piece it’s gravitas.

Given the purpose of our band, this is the one song I feel we must absolutely get right. 

Onoir Do Na Marbh.

Honor to the Dead.